Broken Stream
Novus Terminus (New End)
Disclaimer: Don't own Evangelion.
I could hear it faintly, the ringing of the alarm clock on my nightstand. My hand reached out and hit the snooze button. I slowly lifted my head up to look at the time. An hour and a half I would have to be at work. I groggily lifted myself into a sitting position and stared at the wall in the far corner. Something was off. I could sense it.
I threw my legs off the side of the bed, untangling the bed sheets that stubbornly cling on to me. I stood up, a slight grimace appearing on my face from the neighbors upstairs. They felt a need to play their heavy bass music at these hours of the morning. I never complained though. I always slept through it.
I walked into the small bathroom. My face seemed a bit rugged, my long hair tangled behind me. I striped off all my clothes and stepped into the shower. I turned on the cold water first; completely wide awake I slowly turn the knob to warmer water. It's weird. I always seem to forget I have long hair now. I glide my fingers through the strands; I took the soap and started scrubbing.
I got out of the shower and looked in the mirror. My stubble was coming in. I liked how it looked. It reminded me of a rugged movie star. Skipping shaving will save time and maybe get me the earlier train to work. I dried myself quickly and strolled back into my room. I walk into the room with the towel over my head. For a second I could have sworn I saw red hair and a figure on my bed. I lift up the towel and see the bed sheet crumpled in the middle with the pillows leaning up against the headboard. I dismiss the notion and start getting dressed.
I run out of the apartment. Jumping over the first rail, I land on the stairs and start flying down them. I pulled this act in the mornings, simply to feel the ponytail behind my head flap in the frantic movement. Plus it was kind of a work out. I waved at the elderly lady that I always greet every morning. I could see the small smile and her shaking her head mentioning something about "so full of life".
I make it to the front and open the door. The city is alive. People are moving in waves like ants. This city became really popular as of lately. It was even named one of top places to live, giving New York City a run for its money. I walked down the stoop and blended in with the sea of people on the sidewalk. I kept in par with the speed making sure not to be left behind. I lifted my bag over my shoulders and put my left hand in my pocket. I had a small smile on my face. I felt damn good today.
I walked toward the train station, always happy I live within walk distance of the place. There was quite a crowd on the platform, even for the early train. I was glad that I decided to leave at this time because I can't imagine what it's going to be like later on. I heard a giggle to my left; I turned and saw two school girls. One had red hair and looked like she was from Europe while the other was a Japanese girl, blue hair and red eyes. Weird, must be a new trend. I could see them looking at me and giggling. I decided to humor them so I smiled that charming smile I use and waved at them. I heard them erupt into giggles and start whispering to each other. I turned around with a chuckle, thinking nothing of it.
Inside the train, I gave up a seat for an elderly woman with bags. I kindly offered her the seat as I took a standing position and held on to the pole next to me. She seemed happy and thanked me profusely as she sat down. I stood there, trying to keep my balance. Making sure I don't knock into anyone around me. I looked down and saw a small boy. The boy looked up at me with his dark eyes and laughed. He then waved with both his hands. I smiled and waved back. I saw his mother but his hand on top of his dark hair. I trailed the arm with my eyes and saw that she held a smile while looking at the child. She looked at me and smiled also. I smiled back and looked else where. It was then I felt a tug on my shirt. I saw the little kid grabbing a handful of the fabric and tug again. I laughed as I slowly put my hands over his and propped him to let go.
"Kaji, what are you doing?" The mother spoke softly as she looked apologetically at me. I laughed as the child let go and went to his mother. He sat on her lap and looked completely content.
"I'm so sorry." She said.
"Don't worry about it, just a little explorer, that's all." She laughed and wrapped her arms around the child.
Kaji? I know that name from somewhere.
I got off the train and walked into the platform. I saw someone familiar and walked toward them. To my surprise it was a group. Kensuke and Touji seemed to be arguing about something while Hikari looked on with a flustered expression.
"They're at it again huh?" I heard Hikari shriek as she turned whirled around.
"Shinji! How many times do I have to tell you!"
I laughed as the two others seemed to have gained their attention to the both us now.
"Stop scaring the crap of out my wife!" Touji walked to us and extended his hand. I shook it. Kensuke came from behind and we did the same.
"You're here early today." Kensuke confirmed.
"That I am, didn't feel like getting crushed in the train."
"I hear you," Touji interjected as he put his arm around Hikari. She glared at him and then smacked his arm off, "Hey! What's that for?"
"I told you to stop arguing like that in public, and for what you did this morning."
"What happened, did he fail to deliver?" Kensuke shouted while thrusting his pelvis in the air.
"Well if that's the problem," I interjected; a smirk on my face, "Hikari's more then welcome to come with me tonight."
I could see the blush that spread across Hikari's face.
"Stop hitting on my wife, Ikari!" Touji fumed.
Kensuke was still thrusting his pelvis in the air. These were my mornings before work.
There was a conversation going on in the elevator, I wasn't paying attention. I could feel something was amiss. It was one of those feelings you get when you think something's going to happen. It could be paranoia. I don't know.
I felt someone poke me in the stomach and looked down at Hikari.
"Do you want to come to dinner tonight to our place? Kensuke's coming too."
"You're cooking?"
"Of course." She said with an air of superiority.
"Yeah then I'll be there." I told her. I could hear Touji huff.
"So I burned dinner once… it's not like it was a complete disaster."
"You fucked up rice." Kensuke said as Touji dropped his head. Hikari patted his shoulder as the elevator door opened.
I walked out and immediately bumped into someone. I glanced down and saw the top of a red head.
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
"It's okay." I laughed, she looked up at me and to say the least my jaw stopped working.
Ocean blue. Ocean blue eyes. European features and full lips. I couldn't stop staring. I could see that she couldn't either. I heard someone from behind me cough and I shot my glance to the ceiling.
"I… Uh… I'm sorry, I should have seen where I was looking… walking! I mean…"
"I… no… it was my fault, I should have walked into you… I mean walked by you… I mean…"
"I'm sorry." We both said at the same time and walked opposite directions.
I could feel three pairs of my eyes staring at me. My ponytail seemed like it was standing vertically.
"Shut up!" I yelled even before they can open their mouths.
"The great Shinji Ikari, the great womanizer, just acted like a little school boy?" Touji said.
"Scandalous!" Kensuke shouted.
"Well I think that was cute." Hikari said with a squee.
I gripped the bridge of my nose. Damn it… I had a reputation to keep.
I pushed my foot off from my desk, my chair swinging around. I had my arms laying on the armrests and my head hanging from the back of my chair. The ceiling was swaying left and right. I did this when I needed to think. All I could think of was the red head. I heard a sound behind me and turned the chair to face the person outside my cubicle. Misato looked down with a goofy grin on her face.
"So… the new girl, huh?" She said with a smirk on her face, placing her hands on the corner of the opening. Walking behind the small wall, she put her chin on the top of her hands; her face had an expression of pure amusement.
I frowned, looked down at the part of her shoe that wasn't covered by the wall then looked up at her face.
"Okay, I gawked, big deal."
"It's hard to consider you to be mesmerized by a women, kind of makes me jealous." She said as she looked to the left.
"But we've known each other for years; I know the way you act outside the workplace."
She frowned and pouted.
"So, it's not like it would ruin my reputation."
"The messiness, the lack of clothing, the drinking… Should I go on?"
Her ears perked. She looked at me suspiciously.
"Fine, you win. However I will get my day, Ikari."
I waved as she huffed away. I loved Misato. She was like that big goofy sister you'd always want to protect. I was looking on as she walked away, suddenly I felt a burning sensation in my eyes.. I shook my head. I should probably get more sleep.
Deciding to get a drink of water, I got up and walked to the cooler. I swayed a bit to the left and grabbed on a wall of a cubicle. I looked down at my left hand. It was then a vision of a chess set on a small stone table flashed before my eyes. I blinked rapidly and see it was still my hand. I wiped the small beads of sweat off my forehead. I paced quickly to the cooler. I reached for a cup and collided with another hand. I retracted it back and was about to apologize.
"I'm sorry." I looked up and saw it was the red headed girl. Her eyes held mine. I looked lower, she didn't have a mouth. I almost faltered back in surprise. I saw the look of confusion on her face. I blinked again, looking up I was relieved to find that her mouth was there.
"Are you okay?"
"I… yeah, just a bit dizzy that's all." I grabbed a cup, filled it with water and chugged it down.
"Um… you're Shinji right?"
"Yes."
I heard her sigh. "Oh… good. I was looking for my new partner on the instrumentality project."
"The what?" I asked.
An image of the chess board flashed in my mind again.
"You know, the Magi server that needs to be repaired. Your memory, suits the pilot of the evangelion."
There were several images that flashed before my eyes. A giant four eyed creature, it had a mix of red and orange. It was being attacked by 7 angel-like figures. Another flashed of my hands around Touji's neck. Touji's face turned into some black monstrous looking beast as I felt his neck break in my hands. I closed my eyes. The headache was getting worse. I placed my hand in front of my face and then to the back of my head. I couldn't feel my hair. It was short now. I patted the back of my head and felt nothing but short bristles of hair. I opened my eyes and looked at an image of myself. I was young, my eyes looked tired.
"You are Shinji Ikari, you are the designated pilot of the Evangelion unit that is to save the world from itself." Myself said. I reached out an arm. The image of myself didn't mimic the movement.
"You are Shinji Ikari," I turned to my left and saw a naked Misato. Her eyes held a blank expression, "You are the boy that I met and fell in love with. You were the son I always wanted, you were the person that seemed to look out for me. You were the person who I felt sorry for, only to feel so much pride for. You were the pilot that I was supposed to look after, you were one of the people I proudly called a friend."
"You are Shinji Ikari," I looked back at myself, standing naked only with long hair and the stubble, "You are a boy who held strength, who held resolve, who held the ability to survive. You were boy who had the weight of the world on your shoulders."
"You are Shinji Ikari," I looked up and saw a blue haired girl with red eyes slowly float toward me. She put hands on each side of my face, "You made me feel human when I was not. You opened my eyes with your kindness, you confused me with your beliefs. You changed my life with your words. You saved my life with your actions. You were the one who I wished would notice me."
I could feel my eyes burning, images of everything happened. I learned what they meant by their words. It was like I was watching a movie that I didn't realize I was apart of. I was a main character. I was…
"You are Shinji Ikari," I looked to my right and saw her; Asuka, "You took all I threw at you, you were persistently ridiculed by me. Yet, you always had me in your heart where I secretly had you in mine. You made me love, I hated you for it. You made me feel, when I didn't want to. You were my first, and my last. You became my life. You opened yourself and welcomed me, where I open myself and became yours."
I felt them surround me. I saw someone in the corner of my eyes. It was a man with long hair in a pony tail, a smirk on his face that I've come to know.
"You are Shinji Ikari, the boy who I respected. You looked up to me as a father figure, when your father abandoned you. You looked to me as the man you wished to aspire to be. I did not deserve to be that person; you mimicked me in several worlds. You trusted me to be the key in every reality. I don't understand what you see in me. I don't understand why it had to be you. You were the one that saved the world, you were the one that saved us, you were the one that fate threw this cruel fate. Why? Why did it have to be you?"
The women moved out of the way as this man came and crushed me with arms. I could feel him weeping. I slowly put my arms on his back, I could feel the tears falling from my eyes. He stepped away and I saw two figures slowly coming closer. When they reached where Kaji was, I saw a mature looking Rei Ayanami with some older man with sunglasses.
"You are Shinji Ikari, we are your parents." They both spoke at the same time.
"I am your mother," The woman stepped up, "You were the son I wanted, the son I cherished. I'm the reason why your fate has you in this loop, I'm the reason why the world wanted so much from you. I was there reason why you were protected inside the Evangelion Unit one. I was Evangelion Unit one, I would let no harm come to you. I would protect you, no matter in which reality I am."
"I am your father," The man with sunglasses stepped up, "I'm sorry, I am so sorry."
I knew exactly what he meant, I knew exactly why he only spoke that. I placed my face in my palms and slowly tried to deal with this. I heard slowly as Touji stepped up, Kensuke by him and Hikari followed.
"Your our friend, we cared about you as you did us."
"I respected you and cherished our friendship" Kensuke said.
"After I met you, I forgave you," Touji said, missing his arm and leg, " Even afterwards, I still forgive you."
I cried hard when I heard him say that, I saw the image of the evangelion unit destroying his and crushing the entrance plug in it's hand.
"I cherished you because you were a man, you didn't think highly of you but we all did."
"Every one of us." They all said at the same time.
"I love you." I heard Asuka say as she floated to me, my eyes widened when I saw the long scar on her arm and her eye closed. I lifted my hand up and cupped her face. I closed in and kissed her eye. I then grabbed her and crushed her into me. I could feel her body, her warmth, her touch. I could feel everyone surround me. I could feel them.
"Do you understand?"
I would feel water running down my eyes. I was looking at the chess game on the stone table. I could see Kaji in front of me and Asuka to my side. I turned around completely when I saw Asuka run her hand up and down the scar on her right arm. I looked up to her face and saw her grey left eye. I saw tears spill as she looked up from her arm.
"I can't see from my left…"
I grabbed her and pulled her in as she buried her face into my shirt.
"What the hell is this?" I sputtered angrily.
"When Third Impact happened, you two were chosen as the survivors. You were the only two in the Evas. The Evas protected you. The wounds on Asuka are from the spear. I'm sure your aware of that now."
I knew about the spear, when I went through my trip I regained my full memory.
"Is this world real?"
"Yes and no."
"Why do we keep on remembering?" I could see Kaji looking at Asuka as she asked that question.
"It's your fate; you've had a lot happen to you. You literally survived Armageddon."
"What about everyone else."
"You mean me?" Kaji asked. I nodded.
"I am you, the both of you. You willed me into existence. You implanted all that Kaji was into me. You also implanted me with the answer to everything too."
"This isn't the first time?"
"Unfortunately no."
I stared at him, I couldn't remember any other time that...
"I don't believe it."
"What?" Asuka asked as she lifted her head off my shoulder and looked up at me.
"I lived through… a life… before?"
"Your right… the office… we bumped into each other in the elevator." Asuka said out loud as she stared at me in the eye.
"You two meet each other constantly, no matter what the world. You always end up together. Fate has drawn that you two are linked together, permanently."
I looked at Kaji, he held a small smile on his face.
"So now that we know… what will happen?"
"Everything will reset itself; there will be a white light that'll come from the Second Impact happened. It will erase everything and rebuild it."
"This happens every time?"
"Yes, it's kind of reality's own way of extinction and evolution."
"But we will remember again?" Asuka said as she put her hand on top of mine.
"Most likely, you know when you throw a rock into a stream it will always flow around it. You can't break the current of the stream. You two suffer from a broken stream but sooner or later the stream of memories will flow again. You two have had a lot happen to you, you have created a world and made sure that when you two remembered that this world was created that it would be reset. You didn't want the power. You gave it back to nature."
I looked at the man named Kaji, thoughts of what he really is flashed through my mind. Is he alive? Is he dead? Is he real? Is anything real? Are we real? What is real?
"Who gave us this power?" Asuka asked. I looked at Kaji expectantly.
He let out a small laugh. "I don't know that because you didn't know that before."
Someone left humanity in our hands. The reasons they choose us can be infinite. I looked at the girl sitting in my lap, the look of confusion on her head as she desperately tried to come up with an answer to this. I looked toward the man; he was looking back at me.
"Let's forget."
I could feel something in me dawn. The stream may have a rock in it but it still flows. It reaches equilibrium and adapts to the situation. I think we can do similar.
"I think this will be the last time, the last time this ever happens."
"What makes you so sure?" Kaji asked as a small smirk spread on his face.
"Trust me." I said with the similar smirk on my face.
Kaji rose from his seat. He patted his behind with his hands and stretched his back.
"Well, I'm off then. I trust you won't come back to me for answers?"
Asuka slowly got up and I followed. I looked at the man that I wished was my father. I looked at the man I admired and realized what it is I wanted.
"Don't worry, we won't be selfish anymore."
Asuka walked up to him and hugged him, she then returned to my side, I extended my arm and shook his hand. The man I admired most.
"At sunset, the light will come." Kaji said as he turned around, he lifted his arm and gave a wave. He walked into the park, disappearing.
I turned to Asuka and gripped her shoulders. She smiled, her grey eye slowly replaced with blue. She lifted her right arm up and saw the scar disappear.
"You could have done that before."
"You're still beautiful regardless."
She smiled as she wrapped her arms around my torso.
"Let's go to the beach."
I felt a weird sensation then my feet began to sink into the ground. I looked around and saw that we were in a beach somewhere. I could hear the waves of the ocean lapping into the land, giving the atmosphere an aurora of calm.
"Shinji, how did you do that?"
"I don't know; at this point I don't care." I said looking around. I could see that sky beginning to change colors. I could see the vast horizon of the ocean. I drew Asuka to me, put my arms around her slender waist and rested my chin on top of her head.
"How do you know this time will be different?"
"I don't know, I hope. That's all I can do."
"How can you love me if I was a bitch to you for so long?"
I looked up at the changing color. I saw the fiery orange and thought exactly why.
"You were spirited, beautiful, and intelligent. How can I not fall for that? Sure you had your problems but I mean look at me I used to be spineless."
"How did that go away?"
"I think it was you?"
"Oh?"
"You probably beat it out of me." I laughed as she squeezed me.
"Shinji?" She slowly whispered. As she took a step back and looked up at me.
"Hm?"
I saw out of the corner of my eye as a white light exploded in the horizon. It slowly began moving toward us.
"I know I said this before, I want us to start out together. I want us to be together. I…"
My hand cupped her face. I tilted her head and pressed my lips into hers as the white light finally enveloped us.
I heard it, a slow ringing. At first it started with a slow pace, now it was blaring angrily. I cracked opened an eye and stared menacing at the alarm clock on the nightstand. I suddenly felt some weight on my side and saw a feminine arm slam down on the snooze button.
"Why do you always make me do it? Idiot" I heard her say grumpily as she plopped back into her side.
I turned around and saw the mess of red hair, I couldn't help but smile. She held a frown but soon started smiling. I grabbed her and hugged her close.
"Morning." I said coarsely as I crushed her.
"Morning." She said back as she kissed my chin.
I felt her start to struggle to get away.
"I have to go to the bathroom, and we have to go to work."
"Work. Let's skip."
"This isn't school, Shinji." She sighed as she tried to pry my arms off, "Let go."
I released her as she ran into the bathroom. I turned to lay on my back and slowly stretched out the sleep in my legs and arms. I got out of the bed slowly and looked up just as Asuka got out of bathroom. I could hear the water running in the shower.
"Your not going to shave are you?" She asked as she went through a few shelves looking for clothing.
I rubbed the stubble I had on my face. I lifted my hand to the top of my head and ran my fingers through my long hair. I could feel the knots in them.
"Not today, it'll take forever. I'll just take the electric razor to work or something," I winced when I hit a stubborn knot, "I need a haircut."
"You know I like you with long hair, keep it." She turned around and flashed me a smirk, "it gives me something to pull while we're in the shower."
The message was thrown and received. I followed my giggling wife into the bathroom.
I could hear the sound of pans clanging in the kitchen of the apartment. I also heard the door open and close as I put on my pants and buckled the belt. I walked into the living room while swinging the tie I grabbed off the closet door around my neck. I saw two people sitting by the kitchen table. Asuka was near the stove cooking up eggs.
"Shinji, it's good to see you with pants no less."
"It's my house, Misato, I can be with or without pants if I wish."
"I wish I could say the same for her." The man with the pony tail said, a small smirk spreading on his face.
Misato turned to her husband Kaji and pinched his arm.
"I don't see you complaining." She said as her pinching caused him to twist in the chair.
"Jeez, Misato, I was joking." He said holding his arms up in surrender.
"Misato was never for jokes." I said as I walked to the cabinets and took some plates out.
"Ain't that the truth." We heard Asuka say from the stove.
Misato put her head down and mumbled that everyone was being mean. I placed the plates in front of them and two in the other two empty seats. I sat down and waited until Asuka walked up and plopped a helping of eggs and sausages.
"So I see your pulling off the "me" look?" Kaji asked as he picked up his fork and started digging in.
I laughed. "Ah, sort of. I did always want long hair but until now I just grew it out. Asuka never complained about it so I decided to keep it. As for the stubble, I get too lazy to shave it."
"I hear you. Shaving is a pain in the ass."
"At least you don't need to shave your legs." Asuka interrupted as she sat down.
"Ugh, like I need any more places to shave." I said.
"Please shut up, I'm eating here!" Misato yelled with the fork in her mouth.
I locked the door behind me as we left the apartment. I saw Misato immediately go for Kaji's arm. They both walked down the stairs. It still amazed me how well they worked with each other. I felt Asuka's hand wrap around mine. I looked down at her and smiled. Yeah, I did kind of understand. We both began to walk down the stairs. I saw the small elderly woman outside her door. I waved at her while Asuka said her good morning. The elderly woman smiled and waved back. I heard Asuka say something about bringing food over and the woman thanked her. I smiled as we walked down the next flight of stairs. Yes, life was routine. We did this every morning but I have to say that I wouldn't think of it any other way.
The elderly woman walked into the apartment. The door clicked behind her. She walked into the living room where an elderly man was sitting on an arm chair. The man looked up and smiled.
"Are they gone?"
"Yes." The woman said as her frame changed and formed into a younger image of herself. Her gray hair turned into brown, the wrinkles around her face smoothed out. Her eyes turned into a more brilliant shade of blue. The man on the arm chair formed into a young man. Black hair and deep blue eyes that almost looked purple. His face became more chiseled. He stood up and hugged the woman.
"Do you think this worked out?"
"I don't know. We're not old anymore."
"I know. Maybe now we can let everything go back to normal."
"I don't know, do you think we can leave them?"
"He's our son. He's a survivor."
The end.
A big thank you to the people who reviewed and liked this story.
Hopefully the ending was on par. At least I didn't pull the End of Eva ending eh?
Reviews are welcome.
